There’s a punching dummy at our gym named Chad. He recently started wearing a weighted vest. He can't actually speak, yet somehow still sounds like most of the fitness industry.
Welcome to The Chad Chronicles, where we take a look at the misguided, lazy, and downright confusing things said by coaches who claim to support women… while doing the exact opposite.
If you’ve ever left a training session (or a social media scroll) more confused than when you started, this is for you.
Let’s break it down.
“You just need to eat less and move more.”
This one’s a classic. And also the quickest way to tank performance, recovery, and hormonal stability—especially for Masters and menopausal athletes.
Let’s be real: energy balance still matters. But it’s not the only thing that matters.
Metabolism isn’t a fixed calculator. It’s adaptive. And for women navigating peri/menopause, that adaptation is layered with changes in estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid output.
The nuance:
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Low energy availability (LEA) is wildly under-diagnosed in women over 35, especially those who’ve lost their periods to menopause rather than overtraining.
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Chronic underfueling affects bone health, immune function, and mental clarity—not just the number on the scale.
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The International Olympic Committee recognizes that LEA isn't just a concern for young female athletes—it persists in adult athletes of all genders and ages when underfueling meets training stress.
So no, Chad, skipping breakfast and stacking HIIT won’t help you “lean out.” It’ll just grind you down.
“Strength training is optional cardio with weights.”
If you’ve ever had a coach write “3x10 of whatever” on your plan and call it strength, congrats—you’ve met Chad.
For menopausal athletes, resistance training is non-negotiable.
It improves:
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Muscle mass retention
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Bone density
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Metabolic rate
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Cognitive health
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And, yes, performance and injury prevention
Evidence check:
A 2022 review in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research confirmed that resistance training improves muscle protein synthesis and insulin sensitivity in peri- and postmenopausal women, helping to reduce sarcopenia and fat gain.
Yet coaches still downplay it in favor of calorie burn.
If your program looks like a Pinterest workout and not a progression built around your needs, you’re not strength training—you’re just... moving weights around.
“You don’t need to fuel unless your run is over 90 minutes.”
This one is a favorite in the Fasted Culture playbook.
The irony? The same coaches will turn around and post “Recovery is key—don’t skip post-run carbs and protein!”
So you don’t need to fuel during… but you better fix the damage after?
Make it make sense.
Actual research:
A 2023 ISSN position stand on nutrition and endurance athletes stated that peri-exercise carbohydrate intake is beneficial for:
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Performance
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Recovery
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Hormonal stability
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And reducing perceived effort
Especially in women, where estrogen fluctuations can blunt carbohydrate availability and impact cortisol response, pre- and intra-run fueling becomes more important—not less.
Fasted training may work sometimes, for some, under specific guidance. But it’s not the gold standard. And treating it as such? That’s a recipe for burnout, not badassery.
“Sleep is the most underrated recovery tool.”
Also Chad, 6 hours later in a Story: “Up at 4:30 AM to crush leg day—no excuses!”
Here’s the contradiction: You can’t glorify sleep and hustle culture at the same time. The emphasis on sleep for recovery is valid, however, peri/menopausal athletes are already struggling with disrupted sleep from hot flashes, cortisol shifts, and altered melatonin production. They need actionable items to help get quality sleep...
What actually helps:
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Regulated blood sugar throughout the day
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Evening nervous system downregulation
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Consistent bed/wake times
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And yes, medical interventions or HRT when appropriate
This isn’t about willpower. It’s about physiology.
And your “rise and grind” isn’t empowering—it’s dismissive.
“Hormones don’t affect fat loss. It’s just calories in, calories out.”
Then in the same podcast episode: “Well, yeah, cortisol can stall progress. And thyroid’s a factor too.”
Ah. So hormones don’t matter… unless they do. Welcome to Chad Logic™, where nuance goes to die.
The truth?
Hormones don’t override energy balance—but they do influence:
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How you feel
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How you train
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How your body metabolizes food
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How you recover
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And how your brain perceives hunger, fullness, and motivation
Studies confirm:
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Estrogen plays a role in muscle protein synthesis and lipid metabolism
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Hormonal shifts in menopause reduce insulin sensitivity
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Elevated cortisol from stress or fasted training can increase central fat storage
So sure, CICO exists. But it’s not the whole picture—especially not when coaching women in a hormonally dynamic life stage.
“Menopause is natural. You’re not broken.”
Then markets a $999 “Hormone Reset” for menopausal weight gain.
So… we’re not broken, but also here’s a fix for your brokenness?
That’s not empowering. At all. That’s exploitation.
There’s a massive difference between honoring menopause as a transition vs. pathologizing it for profit.
Menopause is natural. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
And coaches who dismiss medical support, HRT, or targeted training as “unnecessary” while selling a glorified detox plan are just riding the trend.
You know what’s better than a reset?
A strategy.
Built on physiology, not fear.
“I empower women.”
Also says:
“Wait to start strength until your body is balanced. You don’t want to bulk up while your hormones are off.”
This one’s sneaky. Because it sounds like care. But it’s just a polished version of “fix yourself before you’re worthy.”
Bulk? Let’s be honest. Gaining visible muscle takes time, intention, and a surplus, not a few weeks of dumbbell presses.
Women need more strength—not more rules.
Empowerment doesn’t come from restriction.
It comes from tools. Skills. Support. Clarity.
So What’s the Harm?
Contradictions don’t just create confusion.
They make women question their bodies.
They sow shame under the disguise of “discipline.”
They keep the bar low while pretending it’s empowering.
Here’s what women actually need:
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Coaches who can hold complexity, not just soundbites
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Education rooted in current research, not old bodybuilding forums
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Support that considers hormones, lifestyle, stress, and sleep—not just macros and steps
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Strategies that evolve with them—not against them
If your coach talks like a meme and programs like an intern… you deserve better.
Don't worry, we're inclusive around here so let's chat about The Karen Companion Guide: When Coaches Preach Empowerment, But Only On Their Terms
Not every coach with a ponytail and a protein shake is here to help you thrive either.
Some are here to manage you. To correct you. To tell you that the real problem isn’t the system—it’s that you’re not following the “rules” hard enough.
Welcome to The Karen Companion Guide: the side of the fitness industry that insists it’s empowering women while subtly reinforcing the same tired expectations they claim to be disrupting.
These women may not yell in parking lots, but they’ll absolutely yell in your comments if you say:
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You’re not tracking macros right now
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You’re using HRT
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You’re resting instead of pushing through
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You’re gaining muscle or fat and you’re fine with it
Because deep down, Karen isn’t about support—she’s about control.
“I did it this way, so you should too.”
Karen loves a template. Especially when that template is based on her own body, experience, and privilege.
She may:
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Have a naturally lean frame
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No chronic health conditions
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Never experienced surgical menopause, thyroid dysfunction, or major metabolic disruption
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A partner, nanny, and full gym access
But she’ll still say, “If I can do it, so can you.” As if every woman lives in her body, her budget, and her life. This isn’t motivation. It’s erasure.
“You don’t need HRT. Just clean up your diet and meditate.”
Karen believes that nature is pure and everything else is weakness.
She’ll casually suggest:
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$300 a month worth of "natural" (unregulated) supplements instead of support from HRT
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Yoga instead of medicine
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“Balance” instead of treatment
And while she’s busy calling herself “holistic,” she’s actually just anti-autonomy.
What she doesn’t say:
Women are allowed to want relief. They are allowed to use medical tools without shame.
They are allowed to prioritize performance without apologizing for it.
“We don’t talk about weight. But also, here’s my before and after.”
Oh, Karen. Your captions say “body positivity,” but your content screams, “I’m still trying to be the smallest version of myself.”
Let’s be honest:
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Aesthetic obsession wrapped in self-love still centers appearance over function.
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“Healthy at every size” doesn’t mean “only if you’re toned.”
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And real coaching means helping clients define their own version of success—not defaulting to “leaner is better.”
“If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way.”
This one’s dangerous. Because it sounds like grit. But it’s actually guilt.
Karen forgets:
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That women in peri/menopause are often working with less sleep, less energy, more caregiving responsibilities, and real physical shifts that can’t be out-hustled.
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That success is seasonal.
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That pushing through fatigue isn’t always courageous—it’s sometimes the fastest road to burnout or injury.
Motivation doesn’t always mean more effort. Sometimes it means better strategy.
“It’s not your hormones. You just need more consistency.”
Karen thrives on discipline. Even if that discipline is slowly wrecking your nervous system.
She’ll say things like:
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“You're just not committed enough.”
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“Track harder.”
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“Cut back until the scale moves.”
But she won’t ask:
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“Are you recovering?”
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“Are you getting enough protein and enough sleep?”
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“Is your plan still aligned with your current capacity?”
That’s not coaching. That’s moral superiority in spandex.
The Truth:
Some Karens have no idea they’re reinforcing patriarchal systems. They believe they’re helping by holding women accountable. But if your “accountability” ignores autonomy, nuance, and physiology—it’s not empowerment. It’s just a performance.
And that’s the problem: Whether it’s coming from Chad or Karen, the message is still:
Be smaller.
Be quieter.
Be grateful.
And don’t question the plan.
But Here’s What Women Actually Deserve:
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Coaches who are trauma-informed, not trigger-happy
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Advice that evolves with science—not stuck in the 90s
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Training that reflects their phase of life, their goals, and their capacity
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Respect for their choices—whether it’s HRT, rest days, intuitive eating, or muscle gain
You don’t need someone yelling at you through a ring light.
You need someone in your corner who understands that strength isn’t just in your body—it’s in your decisions.
So if Chad is the problem, and Karen is the enforcer...
You deserve a new standard.
Not just “fitness for women.”
Fitness by women who get it.
I coach like that. With strategy, support, and yes—science. Because I get it and your body isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a force to work with.
We’re done taking advice from people who think a pink dumbbell and a restrictive meal plan count as coaching.